Telegraph key



Jan. 5, 1943.

' J. L. ASHE TELEGRAPH KEY Filed July 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor JMrzL kk o A Norm: 1'

Jan. 5, 1943.

J. L. ASHE TELEGRAPH KEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 8, 1941 S wm Inventor fihziflsize.

A ttor ney Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,307,480 TELEGRAPH KEY JohnL. Ashe, Buckeye, Ariz. Application 8,1941, Serial No. 401,491

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in semiautomatic telegraph keys, and the primaryobject of my invention is to provide an arrangement of this character which not only makes dots mechanically with one action of the hand for each desired series of dots, but also makes a series of dashes mechanically with only one operation of the hand or fingers of the operator, 5

in sending Morse code, and the primary object of my invention is to provide a simple, efiicient, and practical arrangement of the character indicated which facilitates and speeds up the sending of messages.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general top plan view of the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the line 33 and looking toward the rightin the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a, transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the line 44 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arr OW.

.In the use of the ordinary semiautomatic makinga telegraph keys which are capable of series of dots with a single motion of the operators hand, but which are incapable of making a similar series of dashes in the same manner, in the sending of Morse code messages, much time and eifort is lost through inability to produce a series of clashes in the same manner as the series of dots are produced. This is illus: trated by the fact that in sending letters of the alphabet, eleven useless motions are eliminated by semi-automatic series action of the dash forming elementof the key, and in sending the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0,, sixteen useless motions are eliminated. This makes a total of twenty-seven motions of the hand saved in the sending of letters of the alphabet and of 5 the ten digits or numerals wherein the. key is capable of sending series of dashes semi-automatically as well as series of dots, as achieved by the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the letter A generally designates a suitable, preferably insulated material base from the forward end of which rises the standard B on which is loosely pivoted at c the middle portion of a rocker-d carrying'the bumper wheels 22 and 36. A centralized post 6 rises from the opposite end of the base to support the insulated cross member ;what laterally inwardly located of the rod 5 causes its 25 and has a pin j securing the element 25 on the post, with the upper and lower pointed ends of the bearing pins 23 and 24 socketed in the element 25 and in openings in the top of the base A as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings whereby the pin can turn with a minimum of resistance. The dot-making lever arm 2 and the dash-making lever arm l3 are mounted on and locked to the pins 23 and 24, respectively.

Laterally spaced contact standards 9 and h rise from the base alongside the lever arms 2 and I3, the standard 9 carrying the laterally adjustable helical operating spring 3 and its tension adjusting screw 4. The standard h carries the laterally adjustable helical operating spring 28 and its adjusting screw 2'! for operating the lever arm IS. A riser on the laterally inward end of the standard h carries the forwardly projecting spring arm 2' through which the adjustable stop screws 2l and 35 are threaded in opposite directions to engage the forward ends of the lever arms 2 and I3.

From the left hand edge portion of the base A rises the standard is with the overhanging ,portion I having the binding post m to which the flexible leads I! are connected which lead from the flat spring lever arms 6 and IS on the elements 2 and I3, respectively. The spring portions 6 and I!) have the round rod portions 5 and 20, respectively, attached to the forward ends thereof and carrying the weights H in the one case and the weights 29 in the other case, with a laterally adjustable contact [8 carried by the round rod portion 20.

Another standard n also on the left hand side of the base carries the laterally adjustable con: tact II]. A further standard 0 on the right hand side of the base supports the flat spiral spring 3| and its contact portions 32 and I5, and a somestandard 1) carries a laterally adjustable stop 33.

Laterally inward pressure of the thumb on the paddle l of the lever arm 2 causes the forward part of the lever arm to swing over against the tension spring 3 until it strikes the adjustable stop screw 4 which in this case is mounted on the same bracket as the adjustable tension spring 3. The tension of the spring 3 is adjustableso that the individual operator can adjust the tension to suit his style of sending. The sudden movement produced as indicated, of the lever arm 2, causes the rod 5 to vibrate on its mounting of the steel or alloy spring by which the rod is mounted on the lever arm 2. Vibration contact point 1, mounted on the U-spring 8, to touch the contact 9 on the end of its adjustment screw it). Each time the rod 5 swings over contact is made for a very short interval of time, thereby closing a complete electrical circuit through the key. The

interval between contacts being short a dot results. This action is similar to the action of the ordinary semi-automatic key now generally in use. The weights H may be adjusted along the rod by loosening the set screws l2 to predetermine the rate of vibration of the rod 5- and thus the speed of the dot making.

Both of the lever arms 2 and I3 are insulated electricall from the base, the base being itself preferably non-conductive, to connect the contacts 9 and I5 together and to one side of the external circuit (not shown).

The related side of the external circuit is connected to the binding post it which is connected electrically to the contacts I and I8, through the flexible leads H, the steel'springs 6 and I9 and the vibrating rods5 and 20, the binding post l6 being insulated from the base.

When the paddle l of the lever-arm 2 is released from an operated position, the spring 3 returns the lever arm 2 inwardly against the adjustable stop screw-2|. This allows the vibrating rod 5 to come to rest against the roll stop 22'which ismounted loosely on the base but insulated therefrom. --The loose roll kills the vibration of the rod almost instantly, thereby preventing'more dots from being made than desired by the operator.

The lever arms2 and i3 are mounted securely on the base by the pins- 23 and 24 so that they can swing only in horizontal planes. The pins are preferably steel rods fastened securely to the lever arms and pivoted on the base and at the overhead-supporting element 25, the sockets being preferably of the jeweltype.

Inwardpressure of the fingers onthe paddle 26 on the lever arm i3 causes-the lever arm to swing over against the stop 21 againstthe resistanceofthe spring 28. The-sudden movement.

of the dash-forming lever arm 13 causes the conductive rod: 26 to vibratejust as does-the conductive rod 5 on the dot-forming lever arm 2. The rod 20 is-mounted on the steel spring Is to keep up its vibrations-as long as possible.

The speed of vibration of the rod 20 is prede v termined by the'positions of the weights 29 which are adjustable and arranged to be locked in-selected positions on the rod 20 by the set screws 3|].

The fiat spiral spring 3! carrying the silvered contact IS on its free end is an important component of the invention. As the vibrating rod 2llmoves laterally outward it engages the contact so as-to complete the electrical circuit.

The adjustments 33 and 3,4 are so set that the,

contact l5 rides firmly but lightly against the contact l8 throughout about three-fourths of the entire swing of the rod 2%.- As the rod returns to the extreme laterally inward position possible while the paddle 26 is being held inwardly, the stop 33 prevents the contact Hi from following the contact l8 through the entire swing, by making physical but not electrical contact with the projecting portion 32 on the spring 3|. The stop 33 is adjustable so that the portion of the swing throughout which the contacts 15 and it are engaged can be predetermined. Perfect dashes can be stop 33 so that the period of engagement of the contacts l5 and I8 is exactly three times the length of the period during which the contacts 15 and I8 are disengaged. The adjustment 34 wire being provided made by adjusting the;

is similar to the adjustment of the hair springv of a watch and is used to adjust the tension of the spring 3|.

When the finger pressure on the paddle 26 of the lever arm I3 is released, the spring 28 returns the lever arm against the adjustable stop screw 35'and the vibrating rod 20 comesto rest against the loose roll stop 36 which kills the vibration of the rod thereby bringing to an end the series of dashes.

'Although I have shown and described herein .apreferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto except asmay be required by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

invention, what is 1. A semi-automatic'telegraplrkey comprisingabase, a-pair of leverarms pivoted on said base on laterally spaced-vertical pivots, one of said lever arms producing dotsand the other dashes, each of said lever arms comprising a rigid nonconductive portion" equipped at its rearward end withahandle,a rigid conductive vibratory portion longitudinally projecting'from the forward end of said non-conductive portion, a flexible'spring mounting said conductive'portionon said nonconductive portion for lateral vibration relative thereto, adjustable inner stops'on'said' base for engagement by the laterally inward sides of said non-conductive portions forwardly from the pivotal points of the lever arms to' limit the laterally inward swing of the -lever'arms, yielding outer stops on said base for engagement by'the laterally outward sides of said non-conductive portions, said yielding stops comprising rig-id adjustable abutments to positively arrest further lateral swing of thenon-conductive portions and springelements-operative to returnthe said nonconductive portions toward engagement with the inner stops,-a flexible dot contact onthe conductive rigid portion of the dot-producing lever arm a rigid contact on said base for engagement by said flexible dot contact, a rigid dash contact on the rigid conductive-portion of the-dash-producing lever arm, an adjustable yielding contact on said base'for engagement by the-contact on the dash-producing lever arm.

2. A semi-automatic telegraph key according to claim lwherein said rigid non-conductive portion, said flexible spring, and said rigid conductive vibratory portionare substantially in longitudinal alignment when at rest.

3. A semi-automatic telegraph key according a to claim 1 wherein said rigid non-conductive portion, said flexible spring, andsaid-rigid conductive vibratory longitudinal a alignment when at rest, said lever arms being substantially-parallelly spaced.

40A semi-automatic telegraph: key according to claim 1 wherein said inner stops comprises laterally adjustable abutments carried by aforwardly projecting relatively flexible arm rigidly mounted on said base betweenthelever arms.

5. A. semi-automatic telegraph key according to claim 1 wherein flexible vibration dampening means is mounted on said base between the lever arms for engagement by the inner sides of the forward ends of said rigidconductive vibratory portions when the lever arms are permitted to return to initial position by release of the handles. I v I JOHN L. ASHE.

portion are substantially in. 

